John Galliano sacks his lawyer weeks before he stands trial over his 'anti-Semitic tirade'

From Kate Moss to Carla Bruni John Galliano was once in demand on the fashion circuit but things couldn't be worse for the British
designer.

As he prepares to stand trial for supposedly firing anti-Semitic remarks at fellow drinkers in a Paris bar Mr Galliano has fired his Jewish lawyer Stephane Zerbib.

The 50-year-old who lost his title as chief designer of Christian Dior earlier this year after it emerged that he had subjected people to racist rants.

Stephane Zerbib, left, who was acting as John Galliano's lawyer, was fired by the fashion designer just weeks before trial

Galliano, who has been named British designer of the year four times, was arrested at the end of February in the Marais district of Paris after he allegedly insulted a Jewish woman and her Asian boyfriend in the La Perle bar.

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Two days later another woman came forward claiming that the fashion star had hurled abuse at her at the same location last October.

Galliano could face up to six months in prison and a 20,000 pounds fine for his alleged remarks. Now Mr Zerbib, a well-known celebrity lawyer has been sacked by the
designer.

Support: The designer, who has known the model for years, said that she had been 'very professional and very demanding'

Mr Zerbib, who regularly takes up Jewish
causes has been representing the designer ever since his initial arrest in
February.

A video reportedly shot in the Parisian bar in December, fuelled criticism as it apparently showed Galliano telling two Italian women: ‘People
like you ought to be dead, your mothers, your forefathers would all be
f*****g gassed. I love Hitler.’

He is also said to have called Geraldine Bloch, 35, a ‘dirty
Jew’ as well as insulting her ‘ugly
eyebrows’ and ‘appalling fashion taste.’

Galliano, who was born in
Gibraltar and then brought up in south London, is then said to have
called Ms Bloch’s boyfriend, Philippe Virgitti, 41, an ‘Asian bastard.’

In February, the designer is said to have called Geraldine Bloch, a museum curator, a 'dirty Jew' and her boyfriend, receptionist Philippe Virgitti, a 'dirty Asian' during a drunken rant in La Perle, a bar next door to his Paris flat

At the time, chief executive of Christian Dior,
Sidney Toledano said: ‘I very firmly condemn what was said by John
Galliano, which totally contradicts the values which have always been
defended by Christian Dior.

‘Because of the particularly odious nature of John Galliano’s
behaviour and views, in a video made public on Monday, Christian Dior
has decided to lay him off at once and has commenced formal dismissal
procedures.’

Galliano is currently on bail following charges for making ‘public
insults based on the origin, religious affiliation, race or ethnicity’ with a trial date to be set early next week.

He since launched a counter-claim in a civil court in Paris for defamation against Miss Bloch and Mr Virgitti and denied that he is a racist, saying that many of his friends and professional associates, including Mr Zerbib, are Jewish.

Shocked: Actress Natalie Portman, left, cut off from designer John Galliano after he allegedly launched anti-Semitic attacks on several women in Paris

Galliano previously produced six couture and ready-to-wear collections a year and appeared on the Independent newspaper’s Pink List for being one of the most influential gay people in Britain.

Israel-born actress Natalie Portman, who is the face of a Dior perfume also denounced Galliano at the time of the incident.

The 29-year-old Oscar winner said in a statement: 'As an individual who is proud to be Jewish, I will not be
associated with Mr Galliano in any way.

‘I hope at the very least these terrible comments remind us to
reflect and act upon combating these still-existing prejudices that are
the opposite of all that is beautiful.’

FROM HUMBLE ROOTS: THE RISE OF JOHN GALLIANO

John Galliano transcended his humble roots to become one of the most powerful men in fashion.

The Gibraltar-born designer, pictured, who once defined style as wearing 'an evening dress to McDonalds', grew up in south London the son of a plumber who had come to England looking for work.

He has often mentioned the influence of his Spanish mother who dressed him and his sisters in immaculately pressed and starched clothes whenever they left the family home.

He worked as a dresser at the National Theatre and threw himself into the London club scene - experiences that left their mark on his sense of style.

But it was as a student at the capital's Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design that he was first noticed with a degree collection influenced by revolutionary France.

He was a runaway success but became disillusioned with the British fashion scene after a financial backer withdrew support, and moved to Paris in 1990.

Five years later he was appointed head of Dior - the first Englishman to head one of France's fashion flagships.

The news sent shockwaves through the fashion world but did not seem to affect the supremely confident Galliano.

His long-time creative collaborator Amanda Harlech once described disagreeing with him, saying: 'I did only once and I can only compare it to being hit by a massive surfing wave. His indifference was absolute.'

His confidence brought him celebrity supporters with actresses including Charlize Theron and Marion Cotillard wearing his designs and reports Kate Moss had asked him to design her a wedding dress.

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John Galliano sacks his lawyer weeks before he stands trial over his 'anti-Semitic tirade'